Salem Willows, How Do I Love Thee?

Salem Willows, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

J'adore:

Your delicious popcorn from EW Hobbs. Smelling it as soon as I get out of the car and seeing it popped in the old timey popping machines.

(A swell pal of mine, knowing how much I loved this popcorn used it as packing material to ship me a wedding present, and I am not ashamed to admit I ate more than a handful of the stuff when I opened the box!)

The carousel, with not just horses, but a menagerie of animals to ride on.

(I also love that now that the Retro Roadkids are around I actually get to ride it, without looking like an odd duck).

The gathering of old folks in folding lawn chairs on your grassy commons. I wouldn't mind being that kind of old person.

The grand staircase down to the diminutive beachy area, reminding me that each little stretch of sand is precious among the rocky New England coast.

Your claim to fame of being the only place on the planet to get a Chop Suey Sandwich, and the fact that this sandwich warrants its very own entry on Chowhound.

The wonderful vintage arcade games,  from musical monkeys to Mutoscopes and the fact that I had to get change for a quarter, because some of these wonders only cost 5-10 cents to play.

The zig zaggy mid mod bandshell just waiting for some live music on a warm night.

And that bench just past it, overlooking the harbor, where anyone could just sit and watch the boats or just think about life and where it's going.

The fact that you've been around forever and remain welcoming to all, so families and just regular folks can create some nice summer memories without having to break the bank.

xoxo,
Mod Betty
4EVA

PS- Chronicle TV show was obviously reading my love letters, as it too has a crush on Salem Willows. See their "Going Retro" piece on Salem Willows here. No worries, The Willows loves all!